


Resembling Peace

by FunkyinFishnet



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Collars, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Male Slash, Multi, Polyamory, Puppy Play, Teamwork, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 19:48:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3353156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FunkyinFishnet/pseuds/FunkyinFishnet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seth is fuming over the bad blood between Dean and Roman but becomes confused when the two of them are suddenly closer than ever. Then one night he finds Dean curled up at Roman's feet, wearing a collar. He finds that he has stories to hear, research to do and choices of his own to make.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Someone Else's Shoulders

**Author's Note:**

> All damien's fault again ;) Happy Valentine's Day :)

 

 

So Seth had gotten what he'd wanted – Roman and Dean were finally communicating again without going for each other's throats. They still snapped and Dean still pushed Roman's buttons hard, but they weren't acting like they were gonna knock the hell out of one another. Thank fuck. Seriously, Seth was pleased. His eye had finally stopped twitching and the Shield were working together better than ever.

 

But.

 

But Roman and Dean were spending a lot of time together now. Seth would go out to gigs or the gym and he'd come back and find Roman and Dean sat close together, or Roman would be rubbing Dean's neck, and they'd always look at him quickly when he returned, like, well, like they were glad he was there, but it was like there was something they were sharing together that he wasn't privy to. It wasn't an issue, it wasn't, Dean still mocked him for his music taste and Roman still talked to him about strength training but still Seth couldn't help feeling a bit...separate from them. It was like a barrier had gone up, not a huge one but significant enough.

 

Seth didn't ask them about it, because they were actually fucking talking to each other civilly and shit. The Shield were on the same page and winning, just like they'd used to, and Seth was not going to fuck with that. No way. So he gave them plenty of alone time and smashed his CrossFit training and absolutely did not sulk or brood in cheap diners and twenty-four hour libraries before texting to let them know that he was on his way back. He always had a lot to do anyway, strategizing for their next match and for what could be their match after that and so on. Being prepared was the key to building victories. Even if being prepared meant Seth felt overrun with the stress of always trying to second-guess their opponents, trying to second-guess everyone. What if he got it wrong? What if he became the problem in the Shield? It really didn't feel like he got much rest anymore or any relief from the constant weight of responsibility. Nothing he tried seemed to help.

 

 

Anyway, one night, the Shield had won and Dean had that itchy look on his face that meant he and Roman were going to spend the evening silently and meaningfully communicating so Seth left them to it, bitter pain eating away at him. Only the diner he'd been skulking in closed early because of staff problems – there'd been a very loud argument behind the cash register and whatever, Seth left before they did something like ask him to adjudicate. He'd done enough of that recently, God, he was tired.

 

He felt like he was coming out of his skin. There were so many people lined up against the Shield and yeah, Roman and Dean were weirdly on the same page now and that was great and Seth was going to interrupt them now. Well, so fucking what, he was exhausted and fucking cranky and he needed downtime too. They'd have to deal.

 

He shoved his keycard into the hotel room door, his temper getting worse, before pushing his way in. He didn't bother announcing himself, he was too focused on kicking off his shoes and shedding his coat. When he finally looked up, he stopped short. Roman was sat on the boxy hotel couch, Dean on the floor in front of him. Roman was sort of petting Dean's neck and Dean was curling into the touch, twisting his head like he was trying to...lick Roman's hand? And Roman looked fond in response. Seth couldn't stop staring, something in him caught and flapping hard.

 

When Dean moved, Seth caught sight of a flash of dark leather at Dean's neck.

 

Seth had no idea what the hell he'd walked into. He watched as Roman scritched curled fingers through Dean's hair and Dean dipped his head and actually _bit_ at Roman's jeans, a noise buried deep in his throat. Roman arched unimpressed eyebrows at him and that was when Dean noticed Seth.

 

Dean went silent and sort of tilted his head, causing Roman to look around and spot Seth. Seth felt frozen in place, he literally couldn't move. Dean was crowded against Roman's thigh and Roman's fingers were making reassuring motions through Dean's hair. What the fuck?”

 

Roman broke the taut silence, “Forget something?”

 

Right. Seth wet his dry lips, “Yeah, sorry, things moved kind of...fast.”

 

Roman nodded slightly and turned towards Dean, murmuring something that Seth didn't catch. He could have walked right as soon as he'd caught sight of Roman and Dean, as soon as he'd realized that he'd interrupted something. But he'd stayed, because...because he'd wanted to know what Roman and Dean had been doing together? Because he was sick of feeling so tired and stressed and left out? Because he'd been unable to move and something in him had wanted to see more? Because something in him had responded.

 

Roman looked at him assessingly and Seth let him because he couldn't think of a thing to say. He couldn't stop watching Roman's finger stroking through Dean's hair and how calm Dean looked, or how calm he had looked until he'd spotted Seth. Seth couldn't remember the last time he'd felt that serene, that at peace. He couldn't remember when someone had last looked at him the way that Roman and Dean had looked at each other.

 

Fuck, Seth wanted that, all of it.

 

Roman tilted his head towards the floor, a clear invitation. Dean frowned and made a sound that could only be disagreement but Roman just firmed up his hand on Dean's shoulder and kept staring steadily at Seth. Seth didn't know exactly what was being offered, okay, but he knew what he wanted – that connection, the bond that had slipped somehow between all three of them, the one that he'd been seeing between Roman and Dean in a way he hadn't before he'd told them to sort themselves the fuck out. He wanted that connection back and he wanted that peace. Frankly, at this point, he was willing to stand on his head and sing if it'd get him some respite and lose some of the weight from his shoulders.

 

So he pushed himself forwards before he could think about anything too closely and dropped down at Roman's feet. Dean bristled but Roman gave him a stern look and Dean snapped his teeth loudly, a restrained response. Seth tried to get comfortable, eventually folding his legs up and leaning himself backwards into Roman's legs. Even if he just got a moment, he still really wanted to rest. He wanted to feel comfortable again and feel something like peace of mind or body or both. As he leaned back, he felt Roman's fingers brushing across his scalp. The touch was firm but questioning, checking the lay of the land. There was also a gentleness to Roman's touch that made Seth sigh, almost like a shudder. It set off something in him, a spark, a hunger connected to how completely wrung-out he was feeling.

 

He slumped, his head resting against Roman's thighs. God. There didn't seem to be any expectations, not yet, just Roman's hand in his hair and Dean...Dean was glowering at him, his mouth pulled back into what could only be described as a snarl. Whatever peace Dean had possessed before was apparently all gone now. Because of Seth. Seth felt a pang of guilt, because he wanted Dean to feel good with himself, to be focused on the Shield's opponents rather than fighting with Roman. Dean looked tense now, his gaze trained on Seth. Seth rolled his head towards Dean, trying to communicate that he didn't want to fight, he didn't want to do anything, he just wanted to fucking stop thinking about the complications of Roman and Dean, just for a moment he wanted to stop thinking about planning so much so far in advance, he just wanted to stop thinking period.

 

“Dean.”

 

Seth cracked his eyes open – when had he closed them? Roman was looking at Dean with the kind of implacable look in his eyes that said he wasn't fucking around. Dean glared back but when Roman held his gaze and raised his eyebrows, Dean turned his head away. He left his back towards Roman but he still made sure to curl close. Roman rubbed a hand firmly across Dean's neck and Seth watched as Dean pressed easily into Roman's fingers, his mouth twitching and sounds sort of slipping out of him. It looked almost blissful.

 

Roman and Dean didn't say anything to Seth yet, it was like they were waiting for something, maybe waiting for Seth? For him to notice...oh. Dean had turned his head again and Seth could finally see more of what Dean was wearing around his neck. It hadn't made sense before, to be honest it still didn't now, but there it was, undeniably, a black leather collar around Dean's neck and Dean wasn't complaining at all. In fact he really seemed to like it when Roman pressed fingers to the collar.

 

From the way Dean was sitting and the way he'd been snarling, pieces of what was actually happening were becoming clearer but also stranger the more that Seth thought about them. He tried to mentally grapple with it as a whole but he was tired and comfortable now and Roman's hand felt good. So Seth closed his eyes again and settled back.

 

“C'mon, you need to move over here.”

 

Roman wanted him to move, Seth muzzily frowned and tried to turn away but Roman's voice got sharper.

 

“Come on.”

 

Roman's hand started to move away and Seth didn't want that so he sleepily pushed closer and moved in the direction that Roman wanted. Roman's hand smoothed firmly through Seth's hair and scratched lightly at his scalp.

 

“That's better.”

 

Seth smiled tiredly, then there was something or someone shifting closer but Seth was comfortable and Roman was petting him which felt great, it was like Roman's fingers were unknotting some of the tension that Seth had been carrying. Seth pushed into Roman's hand and slept really well that night.

 

When he woke up the next morning, the light dim and golden through the curtains, Seth found that at some point Dean had curled up next to him, his head now resting on Seth's shoulder, and Roman's hands were still touching them both. It still felt good. Seth's smile was still present too as he felt Roman's fingers flex and Seth responsively and easily went back to sleep.


	2. As Good As A Rest

 

 

 

When Seth next woke up, the light was a lot brighter through the curtains. Dean and Roman were still close to him, Roman was moving though. Seth murmured a wordless protest and Roman ran his hand through Seth's face and crouched close to him. Seth squinted sleepily up at him as Roman's thumb dug into Seth's temple. Oh, that felt good. Seth's protests mellowed into sounds of pleasure.

 

“Good boy,” Roman's voice was rough and deep. “Stay with Dean, I won't be long.”

 

Seth's protests returned when Roman stood up but Roman grabbed his wallet and jacket without hesitation.

 

“We all need to eat. And if I have to pay extra because this room got wrecked, I won't be happy.”

 

Then Roman was gone. Seth stretched and felt Dean shift beside him. The collar caught Seth's eye and caused all the thoughts that he'd been hazily piecing together the night before to come rushing back. Seth tried to blink sleep away, mentally fitting everything together again as Dean shuffled closed, apparently seeking Seth's warmth. Seth watched him, his thoughts spinning a little because Dean was wearing a collar and they'd both huddled contentedly at Roman's feet the night before and Roman had petted them and...okay, so this was a thing that Dean and Roman did and it had obviously helped them re-bond and more. So it could only be a good thing, right?

 

Seth didn't want the arguments back, his temper flaring exhaustingly and the Shield  _losing._ Fuck no, he did not want any of that back. And honestly, he'd just slept better than he had done in a long time, a proper honest relief from everything. So there was that too.

 

The thing was, he hadn't felt freaked-out by what he'd seen and experienced. He still wasn't in fact. He'd been more...intrigued, even when half-asleep. And Dean was nuzzling against him, there was something softer about Dean now. He was usually full of sharp edges, but not right now. Acting like this, like an animal, was revealing a different side of Dean, a Dean that could express himself in a way that he couldn't normally and he didn't even have to explain himself. Seth could see the appeal.

 

If Dean was awake, he wasn't ashamed of what he was doing. He was making a noise deep in his throat, his nose pressed to Seth's neck and his leg twitching. Seth swallowed, he didn't want to move away.

 

He was still there when Roman returned, a couple of paper bags in one hand and a cardboard tray of coffees in the other. He broke into a wide smile when he spied Dean and Seth, his expression made something warm and pleased break out inside of Seth. Dean began moving suddenly, pulling away from Seth with eager eyes because he'd twigged that Roman was back and had brought food. Seth felt a deep pang and unthinkingly pushed closer to Dean, unwilling to lose that contact.

 

Huh. Clearly Dean wasn't the only one who could express stuff that he usually kept silent. Neither Roman or Dean were looking at him like he was acting weird though. In fact, Roman's smile had almost gotten soft around the edges and he leaned down to pet a hand through Seth's hair and down his cheek and neck. Seth rolled his head into the touch, closing his eyes for a moment. Roman made a pleased noise and firmed up his touch even more. God, that combined with Roman's obvious pleasure made the warmth inside Seth build up even more. Was this why Dean wore a collar and knelt at Roman's feet? Seth couldn't remember when he'd last felt this at ease and unburdened.

 

Roman glanced at him and seemed to come to a decision. He scritched his fingers behind Dean's ears while he spoke.

 

“We all need to eat, then we need to talk and you need to wash up. Dean'll take the first shower.”

 

Dean didn't look happy about that and rubbed the side of his head against Roman's thigh like a pleading refusal. He knew what he wanted and it was obviously more of Roman's touch and attention. Yeah, Seth knew that feeling now too. But Roman was firm, which worked for Seth as well apparently.

 

“Talking first and breakfast.”

 

Dean pressed close to Roman again and Roman cupped a hand to Dean's face, stroking a thumb across Dean's cheek. That gesture was apparently a communication that Dean understood because he let out a heavy breath and sat back on his haunches for a moment. Roman reached out and unbuckled the collar. When he pulled it away from Dean's neck, Dean shook his head briskly and got to his feet, immediately tugging Roman close for a hard telling kiss. Roman didn't seem surprised and Seth didn't complain, watching them made his cock harden really quickly. Fuck, okay. There was that too. It wasn't a surprise, more of a reminding jolt, something buried bursting ferociously to life.

 

He licked his lips as Dean pulled away with a smirk and Roman raised an eyebrow, matching Dean's expression. Then he watched as Dean headed towards the bathroom, shedding his shirt and pants. Seth had seen Dean naked before, they'd all been sharing hotel rooms for years now, but this definitely felt different. Seth, and Roman, appreciated the view, and Dean clearly knew it from the bright-eyed smug look on his face.

 

“Save me a bear claw,” was all he said before closing the bathroom door.

 

Roman waited a beat, tucked the collar away into his pocket and then jerked his head towards the paper bags and coffees that he'd dumped on the table. He turned his back, giving Seth a chance to collect himself because Roman had said that there'd be talking and breakfast first. Seth paused, he'd really easily let Roman lead the way since last night, hadn't he? It hadn't felt weird or awkward especially, it'd just felt...really good. Someone else had taken on the responsibility, someone else was shouldering the morale and direction. That'd been amazing for Seth, to take a backseat and just know from seeing how Dean had behaved around Roman that Roman absolutely could and would do a good job.

 

Seth wanted to feel that way again.

 

He got to his feet and accepted the coffee that Roman handed him. When he tasted it, he found it'd been flavored just the way he liked it. Roman was drinking his own coffee and eating what looked like scrambled egg whites on a toasted bagel. He offered Seth a choice between another toasted bagel or a bear claw. Seth felt like he'd earned a cheat day, he took the bear claw.

 

He sat down opposite Roman, sipped his coffee and contemplated what to say. Roman had said that they should talk, which was a good idea. Seth knew what he'd liked and enjoyed but he still wanted to know where this had come from and what the limitations and scope of it were because to him it felt like it'd come out of nowhere.

 

“So how long has this been going on?” he led with, because he wasn't going to step too softly around this, the Shield had never tread lightly around each other. That just wasn't what they did.

 

Roman appeared to be calculating something in his head. “A few weeks maybe, since you took a hike and Dean punched me in the face.”

 

So they'd really taken his gesture to heart and had gotten completely back onto the same page. It hadn't just been that Smackdown intervention when punches had been thrown and the group had pulled themselves back together again, Dean and Roman had found a way to really connect on a level that'd made them a better in-ring combination and a lot less frustrating too. Seth was grateful for that, now he just wanted to know more.

 

He nodded. “And it just...happened?”

 

Because there had to be more to it than that, didn't there? Roman finished his bagel and cracked a smile. He stretched his legs out under the table and his feet easily reached Seth, resting against his ankles. Something settled in Seth's chest as Roman answered the question.

 

“There were some fists thrown, not going to lie, and Dean kept getting this look on his face and he wouldn't talk about it. I could tell something was up though and when I got a hand to his neck...”

 

Roman reached across the table and rested his hand at nape of Seth's neck. It wasn't anything unusual, Seth had grabbed Dean like that after many an in-ring victory but there wasn't any of that post-match adrenaline. Now it just felt good and safe. Seth's eyes fluttered shut for a moment and Roman squeezed his neck, just a little. Seth choked out a noise.

 

“Like that.”

 

Roman let go and Seth bit off a protesting sound. Roman didn't mock him though, his eyes darkened but he got back to the story.

 

“Dean's always been hot as fuck and you were right, we needed to get our shit together. I didn't want the team to end, I still don't, and since Dean wasn't going to talk, I got him to listen instead.”

 

That was an image. Had Roman ordered Dean to get down on his knees? Had he petted Dean and called him a good boy? Had Dean bitten and snarled? Did he have to be coaxed or punished into good behavior? Seth had always known in a detached sort of way that his stable-mates were good-looking, but knowing and really  _knowing_ was two completely things. Now, he could barely think anything other than the latter. Whatever Roman saw in Seth's expression made him smirk.

 

“It worked for both of us. And then Dean got frustrated because he needed more so he finally started talking.”

 

“And you got him a collar?”

 

Roman's expression became sharper and hungrier. “That came later.”

 

Seth finished his coffee and stared down at the polystyrene cup, his thoughts blurring. Roman had dominated Dean and that hadn't been enough. Once they'd worked out what was, Roman and Dean had gotten more synchronized everywhere else. Good to know.

 

“You're welcome to join us.”

 

Seth didn't freeze, instead it was like that warm pleasure feeling fell through him again only this time it was like a flood. His cock twitched too and Seth was forced to press a hand to it again. Roman didn't look like he needed to ask.

 

“No obligation,” was all he said in response.

 

“But he will make you come so hard your eyes'll roll back in your head,” Dean tacked on.

 

He emerged from the bathroom bare-chested, a towel hung around his neck. The sweatpants didn't look like his and they definitely weren't big enough to belong to Roman, in fact...

 

“Lose your own pants, Dean?” Seth asked, eying how his sweats looked on Dean. His cock twitched harder. “Marking your territory?”

 

Dean grinned with teeth at the goad. He reached for the last bear claw and looked Seth up and down with a definite glint in his eyes. At this rate, Seth's cock was never going to stay still again.

 

“You asking to be marked?” Dean drawled with a keen look on his face. “Because that's my wheelhouse, it _really_ is.”

 

Roman laid a hand on Dean's wrist and Dean didn't look even a little irritated, in fact he looked full of anticipation. Seth shifted in his seat and gritted his teeth. A cold shower sounded like a great idea right now.

 

“You can think about it,” Roman told him. “Take all the time you need.”

 

“And you can watch if you want, he can watch, right?” Dean didn't sound like he was asking exactly, more like he was daring Seth to refuse. “See what's on the table, or the floor, or the bed, any available surface really. Rome's an animal.”

 

Roman laughed and shook his head. Seth arched a seriously questioning eyebrow. “Sure. That's exactly what it looked like to me.”

 

Dean snapped his teeth towards Seth, a gesture that felt more like an invitation than anything else. Seth abruptly got to his feet. Two pairs of eyes followed him.

 

“Taking my turn,” he called over his shoulder before locking himself in the bathroom.

 

He breathed in the smell of Dean's shower gel – something salty – and stripped off his clothing. Fuck, he forgot he'd been wearing it all since yesterday. He gazed in the mirror and saw the wideness of his own pupils and how heavy his breathing was. He didn't look tense though and he remembered how it'd felt under Roman's hands, beside Dean. He'd liked how the collar had looked on Dean. He touched his own throat and imagined the press of leather there too.

 

He tried to imagine the scope of what Dean and Roman got up to together. He liked the way it all made him feel.

 

He stepped into the shower and set the water on cool. He jerked off, his head full of Roman and Dean, their hands, their faces, how they'd feel. Fuck, he wanted to know. And he wanted more of how he'd felt the previous night, Roman's fingers in his hair, all the weight of everything running off of him. He still felt a bit of that, a really good residue, and Dean clearly felt that way too. He'd practically been buoyant, well, buoyant for Dean. He'd even been  _obedient_ , for Dean, and he'd been listening and he and Roman had both looked at Seth like they'd wanted him to be part of that.

 

Seth bit his tongue and came hard.


	3. My Boys

 

 

 

In some ways, it felt like nothing had changed. They still all shared a hotel suite and still spent time at safehouses whenever they could. They still hung out, watched movies, and worked out together. They were still Seth's best friends, only now he knew why Dean and Roman weren't at each others' throats anymore. It put a whole new spin on how he looked at them.

 

It wasn't a bad thing. He could see more in their touches now, in how Dean sometimes sort of melted under Roman's hands, for a second or two maybe and then it was gone but the look in his eyes was really heartstopping. And Roman never seemed to push Dean too hard, never abused the control he had. But it was like Dean listened differently now and Roman knew how to handle him better. The communication between them was clearer or maybe it just seemed that way to Seth now that he knew what they were doing behind closed doors.

 

Those doors weren't closed to him though, not anymore.

 

Seth got to watch now as Dean sat completely comfortably at Roman's feet, Roman's hands petting him. Seth watched as Dean drank water from a bowl on the floor and ate the chunks of food that Roman held out to him. Seth watched as Dean sank his teeth into a knotted rope that Roman held firmly in one hand. He watched as Dean rubbed up against Roman like he was marking his territory, he rubbed up against Seth a couple of times too.

 

Dean was so....at ease, that was what it was. It took Seth aback because Dean usually looked like he was going to throw a punch or a verbal jab. He was always so pent-up and _jagged_ or something. But when he was wearing his collar and usually right afterward too, he looked like he'd found something close to peace. Later, the jut of his chin dared Seth to fight him on it.

 

Seth was way too intrigued to argue. Instead, he watched, a lot, and researched, he liked knowing every aspect of his shit. So he spread his net and tried to learn everything relevant he could. There were blogs and product sites and forums, there was a lot of information out there. Apparently this thing, this preference, could be nothing at all to do with sex. Seth read a lot and watched some videos and looked at a range of photographs. He jerked off a lot, thinking about Roman and Dean.

 

He stared at a photograph of a naked man attached to a leash held by a dark-eyed blonde woman. He was very aware of how much he wanted to be the one wearing the collar rather than the person holding the leash. Seth had never thought of himself as submissive, maybe he wasn't except when it came to Roman and when it involved Dean. Maybe that was what Dean had told himself when he and Roman had first started doing this.

 

Seth thought about it a lot and noticed Roman watching him too, contemplative and careful. Seth liked feeling Roman's gaze on him. He touched fingers to his own neck, it felt and looked empty when he looked in the mirror nowadays, in a way that it hadn't done before.

 

The Shield had recently been doing noticeably well in the ring, they were racking up wins and their teamwork had gotten a lot sharper. That was a relief, Seth could feel pieces of weight falling from his shoulders. But there was still a lot of worry there too, new worries – what if he fucked this up? Roman and Dean had obviously found a great balance with one another and he could probably destroy everything they'd found together. What if the peace didn't last anyway? What if Roman and Dean fell completely apart? Seth had so many plans to make, plans for the Shield's in-ring future, for how to tackle the various opponents that were frequently thrown at them. He always had more plans to make.

 

He really wanted that rest and quiet again too, the kind he'd gotten at Roman's feet. He couldn't stop thinking about it, between his usual planning and stress, the research he'd been doing and what he got to watch now as well.

 

One evening he saw Dean curl up by Roman's legs. Dean was wearing boxers and his collar and looked content. Some nights he was snarly and vibrating with tension that Roman worked out of him. Sometimes, if they were staying in a safehouse with a garden, Roman made Dean sit outside for a while. Dean would claw at the door but eventually he'd quiet down and Roman would let him back in in again.

 

Seth liked watching Dean when he was content. He was rubbing his head against Roman's hand and Roman was watching with a fond look on his face. Then he looked at Seth with the same expression, Seth's heart twisted in response. Fuck.

 

“I...I want to do it again,” he managed to blurt out, because Roman's expression was pulling words out of him. “I don't know...I don't...”

 

Dean's face was sort of pressed just below Roman's knee now but his eyes were bright and he was definitely listening. Seth didn't want to break him out of that headspace. Dean needed it and Seth thought that he got that now. The sex side of Dean and Roman's relationship Dean was happy to brag about, but the other side, this part where it was all about something else, Dean didn't talk about that. That was how important it was.

 

“Hey,” Roman got Seth's attention again, his gaze intent and somehow gentle too. “You don't have to do anything.”

 

“I want to, I want this.” Seth ducked his head for a moment before continuing. “I've looked stuff up.”

 

“And you liked what you saw.”

 

Roman got it, of course he did, and there was a nice lick of heat in his deep tone. Dean made a noise in his throat and nudged against Roman in a way that made Roman smile. He wrapped a hand around Dean's jaw and didn't seem surprised at all when Dean tussled with him, maneuvering himself so that he could bite Roman's hand. It looked mostly playful, Roman using his free fingers to wrestle with Dean who was making rough noises around Roman's hand.

 

There was something about those sounds that registered with Seth as happy somehow and Roman was smiling as he told Dean he was going to spoil his dinner, chewing like that. Something in Seth's chest ached and he almost made a sound too as Dean finally dropped Roman's hand and Roman scrubbed a hand through Dean's hair.

 

“Good and strong,” he murmured to Dean.

 

Dean rubbed up against Roman, and Seth just wanted to sink down beside Dean and let everything go. But he stayed where he was, how freaky was it that Dean had dived in and given up control quicker than Seth? One of Roman's large hands dropped on top of both of Seth's, it felt wonderful. Seth curled his fingers around Roman's, his heartbeat was running fast and his skin was hot and he just wanted  _more._

 

“It's not like you're in and that's it,” Roman told him. “Any time you want to stop, you can. We've both got safewords.”

 

Wait, both of them did? Roman nodded at Seth's expression, maybe he wasn't in the mood sometimes, maybe he needed space and needed Dean to know he was serious. Dean definitely needed space sometimes. Now Dean was looking at him, not judging, just waiting, snuggled close to Roman's legs, all the tension of the day gone from his body language. It was like he was waiting for Seth to join him, like he wanted him there, like he trusted Seth with this.

 

Fuck. Dean trusted Roman and he trusted Seth too, with this. That was huge. They all knew how to keep their secrets. Seth  _wanted_ this and honestly, despite the group's recent problems, if there was anyone Seth was going to trust with this kind of desire and experimentation, it was Dean and Roman.

 

“Black,” he said suddenly. “My safeword.”

 

“Black,” Roman said quietly.

 

He held a hand out to Seth, inviting him in rather than making it an order. Seth got the feeling that would change eventually. He got to his feet and took a step forward, then tugged at his own shirt. Should he strip off completely like he'd seen Dean do more than once?

 

“Whatever works,” Roman told him, seeing Seth's indecision.

 

Okay, clothes on for now, except...Seth kicked off his shoes. He wanted to be comfortable. He took another step forward and then gracelessly folded himself down at Roman's feet. Dean twitched but didn't move towards him, Roman's hand a restraining influence at his neck. Seth bent his head towards Roman's thigh and slowly rubbed his cheek against it. He let out a breath and sagged, a soft noise escaping his throat.

 

Roman's free hand stroked through Seth's hair and Seth closed his eyes. He didn't know how to do this but he knew that he'd liked it before, the weight falling away, Roman's caring hands and voice. He'd seen Roman take care of Dean and he'd seen how Dean responded to that. Dean wore his collar with pride.

 

Another sound escaped Seth's throat. He felt Roman pet his hair and shoulders, confident and firm. He felt Dean's head dart close for a moment, then away again.

 

“Dean,” Roman's voice was full of reprimand. 

 

Dean made a noise that probably would have been a sneer and a curse if he'd been using actual words. He turned around on the spot, like he was trying to get more comfortable. Seth was vividly reminded of one of his friends' dogs back home. It all seemed to come so easily to Dean. Maybe Seth wasn't going to be any good at this but he was going to give it his best shot, like he did with everything he put his mind to, everything he  _really_ wanted.

 

He sort of batted at the edge of Roman's jeans, not raising his gaze yet, just trying it out. He remembered some of the videos he'd watched online, how happy and eager the people in them had been, how content. He pressed closer to Roman and scritched his fingers against Roman's leg.

 

Roman didn't discipline him and Dean made a noise like a growl.

 

“You want to sleep outside?” Roman threatened.

 

Dean growled again but subsided and mouthed at Roman's jeans with a sullen air. Was Dean jealous? Seth was going to have to work out his place here. He peered past Roman's legs at Dean and dared to nose a little closer. It was weird, he knew Dean and he'd seen how Dean behaved in this kind of context but this interaction was new and he found that he wanted to spend time with Dean as much as he did with Roman. He wanted this to work with both of them.

 

He had to trust that Roman would let him know if he was veering wildly off track. He had to trust that Roman and Dean had his back. That was the easy part, it always had been. He only felt surer about that after seeing how close the two of them now were.

 

Dean was cocking his head at Seth, like he was trying to work him out. When Seth nosed close again, Dean surged forward and sniffed at Seth's neck and rubbed his nose along Seth's jawline before darting back a ways again. Seth's head twitched but he moved forwards, he liked that feeling; Dean close to him, warm in that way that was so recognizably Dean. Roman's hands had stayed steady on both of them, now he got to his feet, stretching with a monster yawn.

 

“C'mon.”

 

Dean let out one of those half-growling noises again, was that his bark? It suited him. Dean followed Roman on all fours. Seth had seen him walk around like that before, he _really_ looked this time though, at how at ease Dean seemed. Dean had always had a peculiar shuffling kind of grace which translated beautifully into the time he spent collared. Seth hurried to catch up as the two of them entered Roman's bedroom and Dean scrambled up onto the bed, rolling onto his back with a smirk like triumph.

 

It struck Seth then that he was almost inside the room that had become _theirs,_ Roman and Dean's. He hadn't done that before. They'd always protected some of their time together but now, they were letting Seth in completely. Roman was doing something that was making Dean sound extremely contented. Seth wanted to see what was going on and get some himself. He wanted to be close to them again but he didn't move forward yet. He didn't feel like he should, it wasn't his room.

 

Roman glanced over at him and after a moment, tapped fingers against his thigh, “C'mon, Seth.”

 

Seth faltered forward a step or two, then another until he was pressed right up against Roman's side. Roman stroked down Seth's back and up through his hair. Seth closed his eyes, just breathing for a bit. It felt good, that was all he could think about, how good it felt to be this close to Roman, to feel his sure touch and confidence. Roman knew what he was doing and he was going to carry things so that Seth didn't have to. Fuck, that sounded good.

 

“I've got you.”

 

That was Roman, quiet but firm. Seth murmured a couple of sounds.

 

“Good boy.”

 

Seth almost slumped against Roman, Roman's words gripping at something hot and happy inside of him. Roman put his hand firmly against Seth's neck and Seth stayed upright, on all fours, reassured and supported. Roman's grip became a stroke or two.

 

“You've got it, obeying me like that. It's beautiful.”

 

There was a growling noise from the bed and Roman's tone turned amused, “You're beautiful too when you put your mind to it.”

 

He patted Seth's shoulder, “C'mon up.”

 

Seth looked at the bed and after a moment of gauging the best way to attack this, he crawled up over the duvet. Dean was still spread out on his back, his head tilted upward and his tongue poking past his teeth. Seth was gripped by sudden affection and wicked mischief so he pounced without further thought or warning, falling his weight all over Dean and burying his nose in the crook of Dean's neck. If he did lick Dean's skin, it was only a brief movement and Seth savored the taste before moving on.

 

Dean dug his teeth in at Seth's hip and used his head and the leverage he had to push Seth so that they ended up side by side, tussling in a way that they never had before. Of course they hadn't. It felt both innocent and intimate and weirdly, Seth wasn't thinking about his cock or Dean's. He was actually just enjoying fooling around, playing. That was what it was. He remembered the term from his research, it really did fit. He wasn't being held down by anything, no worries or stress or pain, somehow it was all floating away. He could feel it trying to reassert itself now and then but he squashed it, that was the point or so his research had stated. The idea was to let go of everything and trust whoever was in control.

 

Dean and Roman had recently shown him over and over how much they'd come to trust each other. It'd wiped away any worries Seth had had about their ability to work together coherently. They'd trusted him when they'd let him watch and learn. Now it was Seth's turn.

 

He slowed his movements and lay down, knocking his head gently, meaningfully, against Dean's. Dean got it and pushed back with the same kind of pressure. It was good not having to put things into words. Dean curled close, his limbs splaying over Seth, then his tongue laved against Seth's ear and lower. Seth's head twitched but he didn't jerk away and Dean didn't push too much, he just kept on licking, a pleased rumble emerging from his chest. His hands were half-curled into bluntness, pressing against Seth. It was an odd assault on the senses and Seth found himself enjoying it.

 

He heard Roman take a step forwards and both he and Dean immediately glanced upwards, their eyes fixed on Roman. He was casually undressing, a warm expression on his face. It was a really good look on him. Dean and Seth remained frozen where they were, watching avidly. Dean even sounded like he was panting and it didn't seem like he was putting it on. Yeah, Seth got that.

 

An edge of noise escaped him, not quite a whine, but an indication of how much he wanted Roman close. Roman smiled a little and came close enough to pet them both. Dean and Seth pressed closer, tangling up with each other in the process.

 

“My boys,” Roman murmured.

 

That sounded good to Seth, really good, and from the way Dean was reacting he thought so too. Roman gestured for them to give him room then he climbed into bed, a moment later Dean and Seth scrambled to curl up close to him on either side. Dean positioned himself almost across Roman's chest while Seth pressed in at Roman's shoulder. It was weird, he vaguely noted, but in this role he was almost shy. Dean was practically the same whether he was wearing his collar or not – obnoxious, infuriating and endearing all at once. But Seth, he was usually calling the shots and making plans. Now, he was definitely more conservative, holding back, waiting for indicators that he was getting things right. He wasn't overthinking though, he was going with his gut. Maybe this self, the one that curled up at Roman's feet, was a shy animal. Maybe that was what he needed to be, maybe that was okay.

 

Seth touched his cheek to Roman's shoulder and rubbed his bristles against Roman's skin. Roman made a pleased sound and smoothed a hand down Seth's side. Seth closed his eyes, he could feel Death's breath on his skin and Roman was still touching him. Seth felt peace covering him. He fell easily to sleep, resting deeply and completely settled.


	4. In More Ways Than One

 

 

 

Seth didn't know what had woken up, only that something definitely had. He glanced across the bed and saw Dean lying on top of Roman, the two of them greedily kissing. Dean wasn't wearing his collar, so this was a completely different kind of play. Seth quickly blinked away the last smears of sleep that were dragging at his attention and saw that, no, he hadn't been mistaken; Dean really was three-fingers-deep in Roman, his hand moving rapidly and Roman's groans revealing exactly how happy he was with the situation.

 

Seth stared – Dean was topping, Roman was clearly enjoying himself, and they hadn't waited until they were alone to do this. In fact, Seth was still pressed up against Roman's side. They really wanted Seth there. He was absolutely on board with that.

 

He shifted so that he could get a better view and Dean's eyes snapped to him instantly. He broke out of the kiss with Roman and smirked hungrily. Heat punched through Seth's stomach in response.

 

“You want in?”

 

That was a pure Dean challenge. He was happy to shock, to bluntly push Seth into doing more then just sitting there and watching. Dean never liked things to be half-assed and, Seth had learned recently, Dean liked to be embraced. Seth grinned, he'd always loved surpassing Dean's challenges.

 

So he pressed a hand to Roman's chest as leverage and kissed Dean, biting Dean's bottom lip, licking into his mouth. A hell of a 'good morning', a fucking excellent answer. He could feel Roman's hand stroking up his arm, Seth blindly reaching down to intertwine their fingers.

 

Dean laughed out of the kiss and did something that made Roman sound like the breath had been punched out of him before he sharply raked his fingers down Dean's back. Maybe this was part of their balance, whatever it was it was clearly working for them and they wanted Seth to be part of it too.

 

Seth dipped down to kiss Roman, then began exploring Roman's jaw and neck and chest with his mouth as Dean kept working below Roman's waist. Roman was very appreciative, unashamed in his enjoyment before he fumbled a hand down Seth's pants and wrapped it around Seth's cock. Fuck, yes.

 

Seth pushed into Roman's strong grip, cursing as he watched Dean watch them with greedy heated eyes and increase the pace at his end as a result. Seth couldn't say who came first, he just knew how great it felt, liquid heat sweeping through him and his mouth gaping with noise as Roman stroked him through it. When Seth became fully aware again, he noticed that Roman had come too and apparently so had Dean. Dean was now sweeping his fingers through the combined sticky mess that decorated Roman's skin. When Dean began licking it off his hand, Seth swayed forward to taste it too.

 

Dean smiled knife-sharp and weirdly-pleased, holding out his hand like another challenge. Seth didn't hesitate, sucking the liquid off of Dean's fingers. He knew exactly where Dean's fingers had been, that was a large part of the appeal.

 

“Couldn't hold on there, big guy?” Dean questioned Roman with the kind of affectionately-mocking tone that only Dean would wrangle.

 

Roman slanted a flat look his way, “You can both take the blame for that, your floorshow cut my stamina to shit.”

 

Seth grinned and licked especially lasciviously at Dean's hand. Dean barked out a laugh and kissed Seth resoundingly, the taste mix of Roman-and-Dean made Seth groan.

 

“Not helping,” Roman informed them.

 

Seth and Dean parted and only needed to share a single look before they both dove down to lavish Roman with filthy attention. The trio stayed that way for a while, trading kisses and touches, affection and trust. Eventually they were thoroughly intertwined, Roman still in the middle. Seth adjusted his position, catching sight of Dean's collar, now placed on the bedside cabinet.

 

Roman turned his head slightly and then looked at Seth assessingly, “You want one?”

 

Seth was silent for a while. Dean, curled up across Roman's thighs and Seth's chest, perhaps already transitioning into that particular headspace, didn't say anything. He'd apparently decided that actually talking about this side of their lives was all down to Roman. Seth knew that Dean had talked about it once – when he and Roman had first decided to embark on this whole thing together. Maybe he still talked about it with Roman, just not around Seth. That thought actually hurt. Seth swallowed and focused on the collar.

 

His neck itched, he thought about having a weight there, maybe something Roman could pull on or Dean could close his teeth around. He thought about being leashed.

 

With a dry mouth, he nodded slowly.

 

Roman inclined his head and kissed Seth softly, “When you're ready.”

 

Seth pressed closer with a murmur, something hot and pleased surging through him. When he was ready. He felt rested now, sated, steady, like he fitted into his own skin again. He wasn't jittery, he wasn't struggling under the weight of holding the Shield together, not right now anyway. He still had a fuck-ton to do – there were CrossFit sessions, planning the Shield's tactics for upcoming matches, the best routes to the next shows and just where they were going to stay and how they were going to best avoid everyone and make their entrance at the next few arenas. But he still felt like he could deal with the day, maybe the week, ahead.

 

Maybe he'd do more research too, maybe he'd talk to Roman and play with Dean. Maybe they'd argue but it felt like that'd be okay now because this was a space they could all come back to. Seth's heart clenched hard, he felt lucky and kind of overwhelmed. The Shield were going to dominate better than ever before and they were going to do it together.

 

Seth couldn't wait, for work, for hanging out with his best friends, for getting down on all fours at Roman's feet, for tussling with Dean, kissing them both and learning. That was what it'd felt like, a learning process, maybe not just for him either. So far he'd experienced several kinds of _addictive_ closeness, hot, comforting and more. Seth felt a really good shiver go down his spine, because fuck, this was exactly what he wanted with the people he wanted it with most. This was going to be  _amazing._

 

He dug his fingers into both of them, Dean bit softly at Seth's chest. It was time for breakfast but nobody got up.

 

_-the end_


End file.
